" Heh. You would have been. But there's one more person you need to battle."

I blinked at Lance, confused." Oh? Who?"

The person stepped into the room, and I turned.

" PROFESSOR OAK?!" I shrieked.

" Hello, my gi-"

I turned to Lance. " I HAVE TO BEAT HIM?!"

" Well, actu-"

I didn't let him finish.

Because at that moment I screamed.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHYYYH!" I screamed, running around Lance's dojo.

My screaming was so loud Oak and Lance and Lance's Dragonite had to cover their ears.

It was also so loud it summoned Greta, Bruce and Lorelei from their rooms.

" What happened?!" Bruno asked.

I grabbed Greta's shoulders. " YOU TOLD ME PROFESSOR OAK DIDN'T BATTLE ANYMORE!"

" he doesn't." Greta replied, confused.

" THEN WHY DO I HAVE TO BATTLE HIM?!"

Lorelei covered her mouth. " Dear, Professor Oak isn't the one you have to battle."

" BUT SIR LANCE SAID SO!"

Lance cleared his throat." you didn't let m-*

I didn't hear him

Because I had went back to screaming while flailing my arms and running in a circle.

The adults just stared.

Lorelei pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stifle a giggle. "Mia, calm down! You're misunderstanding the situation."

Greta and Bruno exchanged looks, clearly baffled but amused by my chaotic energy.

"Why is she like this?" Bruno muttered under his breath.

"Because she’s Mia," Greta replied matter-of-factly.

Professor Oak, who had been standing calmly through the chaos, finally raised a hand. "Mia, my dear girl, if you would listen for a moment..."

I skidded to a halt, panting but still flailing my arms for dramatic effect. "WHAT?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY SAY TO MAKE THIS LESS HORRIFYING?!"

Lance stepped in, arms crossed but smirking. "If you had let me finish earlier, I was going to say that I was joking. Professor Oak is not the final opponent you have to battle."

I blinked at him, confused. "Wait, then who is?"

Oak smiled, adjusting his lab coat. "Not me, my dear. You’ll be battling… him."

Before I could process his words, a figure stepped into the room. My jaw dropped as I recognized the familiar face of… Gary.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered, frozen in place.

Gary grinned. " What, you scared of me?"

"YES," I said without hesitation. "YES, I AM."

Bruno burst out laughing. "She’s honest, I’ll give her that."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you’re going to run around screaming like a banshee, this will be over faster than I thought."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I felt weak.

" SIR LANCE?!" I screamed. " WHERE'S THE WINDOW?!"

Lance blinked. " Uh... Why-"

" JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!"

Lance pointed to it, and I didn't waste any time throwing the door open, tumbling out and....

Well, getting sick in the bushes.

" Is.. is she okay?" Lance asked

" Oh yeah she's fine." Oak replied, though even he looked unconvinced.

" Pika."

Everyone turned to see Pikachu holding a bottle.

Professor Oak took it from Pikachu and gasped.

" Mia?!"

I peeked from the window. " Yes?"

" Have you been eating sleeping pills?!"

I froze. " Uh.... Nooooo....."

Gary shot me a look. " Mia."

I sighed. " Fine. I couldn't sleep for two weeks so I... Well I ate pills. And see? I'm awake."

" But why were you eating pills?" Lorelei asked gently.

" The elite four. Why else?"

Greta blinked. " Dear,.you're gonna need to go into more detail than that."

I groaned. " Okay. Sir Lance, Lady Lorelei, Mrs. Witch and Mr. Workout, I'll go into detail."

Greta blinked. " Mrs. Witch?!"

Bruno looked equally confused. " Mr. Workout?!"

Greta crossed her arms, smirking. "Mrs. Witch, huh? I suppose I’ve been called worse."

Bruno raised an eyebrow. "And Mr. Workout? Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

I shrugged. "It’s an accurate description, isn’t it? Anyway!" I turned to Lance. "This is all your fault for stressing me out in the first place! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be popping sleeping pills like they’re Rare Candies!"

Lance groaned, rubbing his temples. "Mia, I didn’t tell you to stress out over the Elite Four. That’s all you."

"Of course it’s me!" I snapped. "Do you know how terrifying you people are? You’ve got dragons, ice types, ghosts, and a literal fighting machine! And now you throw Gary at me like some kind of surprise plot twist!"

Gary smirked, leaning casually against the wall. "What can I say? I’m full of surprises. But seriously, Mia, are you okay? You look… not great."

I glared at him. "Gee, thanks for pointing that out, Mr. Genius."

Professor Oak cleared his throat, holding up the bottle of pills. "Mia, this is serious. You can’t just take medication without consulting someone. Sleep is important, but this is not the way to handle stress."

Lorelei nodded, her tone softening. "He’s right, dear. If you’re having trouble sleeping, there are healthier ways to cope."

I groaned, flopping dramatically onto the ground. "You don’t get it. It’s not just sleep. It’s… everything! The pressure, the battles, the expectations… And now Gary of all people! I can’t take it anymore!"

Greta knelt beside me, her expression empathetic. "Mia, no one’s expecting you to be perfect. You’re already amazing for coming this far. But you need to take care of yourself first. Otherwise, none of this matters."

Bruno nodded. "Even the strongest trainers take breaks. You’re not weak for needing help."

I stared up at the ceiling, my frustration melting into exhaustion. "I just… I just want to be done with all of this. I don’t even care about the title anymore. I just want to sleep and not feel like I’m going to explode."

Lance crouched beside me, his expression surprisingly gentle. "Then take a break, Mia. No one’s forcing you to battle Gary right now. Rest, regroup, and when you’re ready, come back and give it your all."

Gary smirked, crossing his arms. "I’ll wait. Don’t think this gets you off the hook, though. You still have to battle me."

I groaned but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. "Fine. But if I lose, I’m blaming Sir Lance and his terrifying dragons."

"Pika pika!" my Pikachu chimed in, jumping onto my chest and nuzzling me.

Professor Oak smiled warmly. "Take your time, my dear. No title is worth more than your health."

As everyone nodded in agreement, I sighed, finally feeling the weight on my shoulders start to lift. Maybe a little rest wouldn’t hurt after all.